Topic
Society
Violence Against Women Is Widespread in Pakistan
By Mariyam Suleman Anees
Over 2,000 cases of domestic violence, 500 cases of honor killings, and 5,000 cases of rape were reported across Pakistan in 2024. Conviction rates were below 2 percent.
There Are No Robin Hoods in Vietnam These Days
By David Hutt
More undergraduates from one of the world’s five remaining communist states were opposed to the redistribution of wealth through taxes than their peers in uber-capitalist Singapore or Malaysia.
China’s Soft Power Play: Can Fashion and Digital Influencers Reshape Its Global Image?
By Xing Jiahui
China is experimenting with a new formula for soft power by integrating fashion, digital influencers, and lifestyle branding.
Visa-Free Policies Help Bring Foreign Tourists Back to China
By Vincent Chow
Beijing has made a concerted push to attract foreign visitors back to China after the pandemic. Those efforts are paying off.
The Great Balochistan Propaganda War
By Dilshad Baluch
Islamabad’s digital disinformation campaign seeks to silence one of Balochistan’s most prominent grassroots movements.
The COVID-19 ‘Lab-Leak Origin’ Theory: Fact or Fiction?
By Florence Débarre
The U.S. government is increasingly supporting the “lab leak” theory. But with no new evidence released, it’s impossible to evaluate the accuracy of that conclusion.
China Is Winning Its Language War in Tibet
By Gerald Roche
Tibet is one of the most linguistically diverse places in the world. Many of those languages are at risk of extinction.
Japan’s Struggle to Resolve North Korean Abductions
By Thisanka Siripala
Japan’s decades-long struggle to resolve the abduction issue faces another setback as families oppose the government’s latest strategy of opening new liaison offices.
Unruly Israeli Visitors, Thai Resentment, and Potential Dangers
By Tita Sanglee
Israeli expats have become a dominant presence in the northern town of Pai, on the border with Myanmar's Shan State.
Conversations With Chinese Feminists
By Christina Q. Knight
Young women in China are less and less willing to have children or even marry. Conversations with several 20-somethings help reveal why.
Iron and the Archeological Battle Between North and South India
By Akhilesh Pillalamarri
Iron implements found in Tamil Nadu indicate that the Iron Age began here 5,300 years ago. Politicizing this fact does a disservice to archeology and the quest for truth.
HBO’s ‘The White Lotus’ Prompts Criticism of How the West Views Southeast Asia
By Aisyah Llewellyn
The series has come under scrutiny for its depiction of Thai culture, but are critics just missing the point?